1000 to go. I think you've got me wrong. I am far from a 'head in the sand, over my dead body' crew member, I'm just explaining the payment types and the rationale behind them. I'm doing this in good humour, not having a go, or being on the defensive, just explaing the facts as I see them.
The point of my previous posts was to question the claim that just because Airline X and Airline Y don't pay certain payments, why should BA? Most airlines have some sort of basic plus benefits scheme, many of them different to BA. QFUK pay sector pay, BA don't. Other airlines pay grooming allowances, BA don't. Some airlines give you a taxi home after a long duty, BA don't. Some crew earn significant commissions from their buy-on-board product. At BA, with some exceptions, commission are generally neither here nor there. Some airlines pay you extra to work in the premium cabins, BA don't.
In a nutshell, this is what works for us. These payments are relative to type of flying we do. Who else does enforced back to backs. Apart from Virgin, who else does 4 sector Australias?
It's the type of flying. When I was on charter, I would earn £30 for a TFS night return, around USD$800 for a 9 day CUN and up to £3000 for 28 day round-the-world trip. Some charter companies didn't do round the world charter, should I be begrudged my allowances just because we got that contract instead of Airtours? We got an extra day off for doing a TLV return because they were so hard going. Should I be penalised for that? Jetstar crew do MEL-DPS-MEL in a single day trip, back of the clock, no crew rest. Should BA crew be forced to do LHR-BOS-LHR because JQ do something similar?
I do take your point about the destination payments, however, they can make up for a very low allowance on some of these flights. We all remember the 6 day HRE, with £62 in allowances. With an hourly rate, it would probably come out in the wash anyway.
I can see your point of view and once I get the all clear to fly again, I will consider joining a new 'mid-fleet' if it means flexibility for me but you can't expect someone to do, say, a 9 day 4 sector SYD, or a 5 day JKF/JFK without being appropriately compensated, whether it be by allowances or an hourly rate. No matter what the airline.
Last edited by VS-LHRCSA; 22nd January 2009 at 03:08.